Before it was a cartoon special, before there was a holiday song about the Grinch, or a movie featuring Jim Carrey, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! originated as a picture book by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) in 1957.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! has been around for over 50 years and still resonates with us today. Why do I love it? Because for me, Christmas has always been about family and tradition. I always loved having extended family come together for a big home-cooked meal, setting the table with my Grandma’s “fancy china” and being delegated to the “kids’ table” no matter how old I got. I loved seeing my out-of-state cousins and the loud chatter of family coming together after too long apart. We made homemade Christmas gifts – my dad doing the woodworking, my brother and I painting and my parents putting them all together. Making cookies, singing carols, attending candlelight services – those things are Christmas to me.
That’s what How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is all about. The Grinch doesn’t realize that the commercialism and hoopla surrounding the holiday season isn’t what’s truly important. He hates Christmas because he’s alone with no one to celebrate with. He doesn’t realize the true meaning of the holiday spirit until he takes it all away and discovers the love and community of the residents of Whoville still exists without all the extras. You can have the warmth and gathering of friends and family without the decorations and the gifts.
It’s a fun and heart-warming story that’s been well-loved throughout the past half-century. So well-loved in fact, that in 1966 it was made into a cartoon special narrated by Boris Karloff. In addition to the popular cartoon, you’ll still hear the popular song sung by Thurl Ravenscroft: You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch on the radio during the holiday season. In 2000 Ron Howard directed the movie adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! featuring Jim Carrey as the Grinch.
So whether you read the original book, watch the cartoon special, listen to the song or enjoy the movie, let How the Grinch Stole Christmas! be a reminder to enjoy the truest gifts of the holiday season.
Novel Novice 
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